1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an inner cutter of an electric shaver and a reciprocating electric shaver including the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, there have been known reciprocating shavers that include an outer cutter having cutter holes and inner cutters having a plurality of U-shaped cutting pieces and sliding inside the outer cutter, and that cut hairs entered through the cutter holes with the cutting pieces of the inner cutter and the outer cutter by reciprocating the inner cutters (for example, see Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2004-16520).
In such reciprocating shavers, shaving sound occurs at the time of cutting hairs. Users judge the shaving state from this shaving sound. This shaving sound is generated by vibration of the cutting pieces caused when the cutting pieces of the inner cutter recover to the original form when hairs are cut, from a bent state caused by the hairs that have entered through the cutter holes. In the conventional electric shavers, however, there is a problem that this shaving sound is small.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2004-16520 discloses a technique of amplifying this shaving sound by providing, inside cutting pieces of inner cutters, a plate member to cause aerial vibration to increase vibrated air. Moreover, the publication also discloses a technique of amplifying the shaving sound by providing a protruding portion in a joint member that supports both ends of the cutting pieces of the inner cutters to increase vibrated air.
However, in these techniques, the plate member or the protruding portion is supported in the cantilever structure, and therefore, the plate member can make different vibration (movement) from that of the cutting pieces. Thus, there is a problem that amplification of the shaving sound is limited.